Chief Financial Officer Full Time

Job Title: Chief Financial Officer
Department: Executive Leadership
Reports To: Superintendent
Compensation: $190,000 – $200,000
TRS Classification: Classified

Summary:

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is to provide administrative, supervisory, and accounting responsibility for all funds of the school district. They will provide accountability to the Superintendent and Board for the district operating budget, insurance, payroll, accounts payable, purchasing, and other financially related activities and programs. Additionally, the CFO will ensure that financial systems and procedures are in compliance with Board policies, administrative regulations, and applicable state and federal regulations and laws. Successful candidates should also have the following experiences and characteristics:

• Have an eagerness to learn and a growth mindset
• Hold exceptionally high standards for the quality of work and have a strong desire to improve at every turn
• Have well-developed emotional intelligence and moral character
• Possess an ability to build strong relationships, thoughtfully navigate challenging situations, and encourage excellence from others
• Have problem-solving and clear communication skills
• Demonstrate leadership competence and a willingness to share lessons learned through experience

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Main Duties / Responsibilities

• Acts as advisor to the Superintendent on questions relating to the business and financial affairs of the district.
• Assumes responsibility for budget development and long-range financial planning.
• Prepares the annual budget for approval by the Superintendent and the Board.
• Assumes responsibility for the overall management, supervision, and operations of the district’s accounting staff and accounting procedures and controls.
• Supervises the management of the financial affairs of the district.
• Prepares regular financial reports for the Superintendent and the Board.
• Acts as a resource person for the Superintendent, staff, Board Members, school administrative personnel, and others concerning the budget, financial management, and business affairs of the district.
• Allocates all funds after consultation with the Superintendent.
• Supervise, assist, and assure that district financial operations are in compliance with Board policy, state and federal law, and applicable policies and procedures.
• Administers a budget control system for the district.
• Informs administrative staff about new developments in Board policies, State Board of Education rules and regulations, accounting principles, and state laws.
• Prepares analyses of program costs, methods of financing, and long-range projections of financial requirements.
• Recommends changes to improve the financial management of the district and its financial status.
• Direct, supervise, and evaluate the activities of purchasing, payroll, accounts payable, accounting staff, district treasurer, and budget implementation.
• Keeps informed of and interprets business and financial laws, policies, and regulations affecting the business affairs of the district. Communicates with local, state, and national agencies and officials to gain information about legislative or other changes that could affect the district.
• Monitors all purchase requisitions to determine the correctness of the information, price extensions, coding information, etc.
• Monitors bid requests and ensures bidding procedures are followed.
• Supervises the acquisition and maintenance of adequate insurance policies for the district’s property, liability, and employee insurance.

• Arranges for auditing of school accounts, internal and external.
• Must receive staff development points and/or required hours of continuing professional education each year to maintain professional certifications.
• Performs other duties and assumes other responsibilities at the request of the Superintendent.

Strategic Planning

• Collaborates with the Executive Team to define and articulate the organization’s vision and to develop strategies for achieving that vision.
• Oversees and evaluates strategies for ensuring the long-term success of the organization in regards to finance.
• Assists with developing future leaders within the organization in line with a comprehensive succession plan in regards to finance.

Management

• Promotes a culture that reflects the organization’s values, encourages performance excellence, and aligns reward systems with overall goals.
• Leads the Finance department according to authorized policies and procedures that fully conform to current laws and regulations.
• Supervise direct and indirect reports efficiently, in a way that builds camaraderie, team building, and a positive atmosphere.
• Evaluates the organization’s and Finance staff’s performance against internal metrics and benchmarks of success.

Strategic Relationships

• Serves as the spokesperson and representative for the Finance department.
• Ensures that the organization and its mission, programs, and services are consistently presented in a strong, positive image to relevant stakeholders.
• Actively advocates for the organization, its beliefs, and its business efforts.

Business Acumen

• Evaluates the design, delivery, and quality of Finance programs and services.
• Collects and analyzes evaluation information that measures the success of the organization’s efforts; refines or changes Finance programs in response to that information.

Leadership

• Serves as a leader within the organization at the Executive Leadership level.
• Collaborates with the Executive Team in the development of policies and planning recommendations.
• Represents the school in a professional manner at all times, when working with stakeholders, in dealings with outside entities and situations with fellow employees.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

5-10 direct reports; all other finance employees indirectly

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Finance or related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
• CPA preferred.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of financial leadership experience in a school or public sector setting.
• Experience managing large budgets and complex financial systems.

Additional Skills/Qualifications

• Knowledge of rules, regulations, policies, and laws applicable to Oklahoma public school districts.
• Strong knowledge of OCAS, budgeting, and financial reporting requirements in a school setting
• Experience in educational finance, including preparing and reviewing budgetary and fiscal management goals and analyzing financial and budgetary data for a large educational institution.
• Experience managing estimates of needs and financial accounting systems.
• Passionate commitment to the mission of school choice.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; demonstrated ability to present effectively and persuasively.
• Relationship-building and relationship management skills. Ability to work cooperatively with staff and the general public.
• Excellent organization and time management skills.
• Ability to work under pressure, pay attention to detail, meet deadlines, and ensure compliance while maintaining composure.
• Organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize work and handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Attention to detail; Ability to keep and maintain accurate and detailed reports and records.
• Must possess excellent conflict resolution and the ability to problem solve in a timely and effective manner.
• Ability to maintain professional confidentiality.

Language Skills

Ability to read, comprehend, and interpret accounting and financial data. Ability to read, draft, and comprehend detailed and/or complex written or printed materials, including legislation, contracts, bids, policies, procedures, and other technical documents. Ability to verbalize and communicate with third parties in grammatically correct English. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to perform mathematical computations and calculations using or dealing with fractions, decimals, and percentages.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Computer Skills

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Google applications, Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Must have a high aptitude to learn new software as necessary for the business operations of the school.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification preferred
• Current driver’s license
• Valid car insurance

Other Qualifications

• Must be able to pass a state-mandated background check after a conditional offer of employment is made
• Must have favorable employment references

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; use hands to handle, feel or reach with hands and arms. The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The person in this position reports to the administrative office in Oklahoma City. Meetings in public places and at Epic offices are also required. This requires driving in a vehicle in various conditions and times of day. The noise level is usually quiet to moderately loud (when students are present.)

Epic Charter Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

For reasonable accommodations of a disability during the hiring process, please email Epic.hr@epiccharterschools.org. Someone will call you to discuss further.

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